Then... Detective, do you think I'm the murderer?
Hahahaha...
Oh, no, not by a long shot. Ms. Matoba Ikuko.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Department General Office Staff - Matoba Ikuko
However, it has been a month since the brutal murder of a man who worked in this large company,
and yet we have not been able to find the murderer.
I see... a month.
But, no matter how fine things look on the outside,
it doesn't necessarily mean things are fine on the inside.
Oh... that's right. Hahahaha..!
Shizuoka Prefectural Police Detective Kurata Fuminori
Trying to play dumb....
Shizuoka Prefectural Police Detective Sahara Souma
We came all the way from Shizuoka because of this discovery.
It's a copy of a private social networking diary written by one of the employees.
After reading that Ms. Matoba,
I have a strong suspicion that you're involved in this murder case.
Private diary...?
Hmmm...
Here at Sanetomo Corporation,
we are one of the leading general trading companies in Japan.
The headquarters building always glistens in the sunlight,
like a magnificent glass castle.
Our employees are smart and capable in this castle.
But what's inside is full of ugly desires.
Lust for power,
lust for fame,
lust for control,
lust for love,
lust for approval,
lust for the limelight.
The glass castle was a labyrinth of glittering desires
that could be broken at any moment.
That's why you were murdered.
Matsumoto Seicho Premium Drama Glass Castle
2 months earlier
I work for a trading company.
As part of the company's diversity efforts, the number of female employees has increased,
but even so, it's still a male-dominated society with 70% of the workforce made up of men.
I'm the head of the sales department,
which is the most prestigious division in the company.
In other words, we need agile development in order to be more adaptable and flexible.
We are the waterfall generation.
Ms. Mikami is indeed a role model for female empowerment.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Sales Department Head - Mikami Tazuko
You can't flatter me.
I'm already working so hard
that you can almost see the company logo in both my eyes.
Ha! I can see it in your eyes!
The boss, Mr. Sugioka, is one of the most elite people in the company.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Director - Sugioka Hisaichiro
He worked overseas for a long time,
holds an MBA, has a keen sense of beauty,
and always wears a beautiful custom-made suit.
Under him are two deputy managers, Tomizaki and Nomura.
Tomizaki is just a follower of the director.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Deputy Director - Tomizaki Yahiro
Saying to me "Since you can't get married, at least you can get a promotion."
I know he's been secretly criticizing me.
Sir, that birdie putt was a miracle.
You're talking about that again... That was luck.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Deputy Director - Nomura Shunichi
My immediate supervisor, Deputy Director Nomura,
who joined the same time as Director Sugioka,
is already divorced and somewhat off the advancement track,
perhaps due to his overly diligent nature.
Well, everyone, please eat as much as you can today!
- Hey! Izumi. - Yes.
We also have beluga, fresh from France.
Sugioka's Wife Sugioka Izumi
Wow, this looks good!
This quiche is also really great!
Mrs. Izumi is an excellent cook.
As usual, Mr. Tomizaki, you are very good at what you do.
He's such a good talker.
If Mr. Sugioka is promoted, as rumored,
the next in line for Director should be Deputy Director Nomura, due to his age.
But...
I heard that Deputy Director Tomizaki took him to a drinking party with Executive Director Yamane.
Eh?
Oh, ma'am!
Let me take care of that. Would you like some meat...?
Hey, Reiko! Get some meat...
Yes!
Tomizaki's Wife Tomizaki Reiko
Oh, I'm sorry, if you don't mind...
- Thank you very much. - Excuse me....
Deputy Manager Tomizaki is even using his own wife
to get ahead in his career.
I see...
I'm sorry, but your spelling is wrong again.
Okay, I'll back it up to Deputy Director Tomizaki.
Please.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Head of Operations - Taguchi Kingo
Returning from London to become the Head of Operations,
Taguchi is constantly calculating which Deputy Director will give him the best chance for advancement.
Deputy Director Tomizaki, about yesterday's e-mail....
Ah...
If want, I can do it.
Ah... Yes, please.
Yes.
Deputy Director Nomura, I would like to ask you to check yesterday's documents.
I believe that the diligent Deputy Director Nomura
is more suitable to be Director, than the glib and sloppy Deputy Director Tomizaki.
It looks okay. Thank you.
And I'm sure my own advancement will be dependent
on Deputy Director Nomura's advancement.
Mr. Sasaki, fix the data in the document.
The data...
One female employee who stands out is Suzuki Shino.
Bilingual with a flair for the arts.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Career-track Employee - Suzuki Shino
She's ambitious, and she's convinced that she's as good as,
if not better than, all the incompetent male employees in the company.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy General Office Staff - Hashimoto Keiko
Another beautiful employee, Hashimoto Keiko,
is always conscious of being the center of attention in the workplace.
I was going to get a drink, so I'll make one for you too.
Thank you. That's very helpful.
But she's just a general worker.
Women in general office work, no matter how capable they are,
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy General Office Staff - Asano Yurika
don't get promoted, don't get to go overseas or take on more responsibility at work.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy General Office Staff - Kazushima Yoshiko
They can go home on time and spend time raising children and improving themselves.
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy General Office Staff - Ikeda Houe
The one who stands out the most is
Matoba Ikuko.
She's a veteran of 10 years in General Office,
fast and precise in her work,
but she's also plain, dark, and unfriendly.
Her identifying feature is probably
money.
Rumor has it that she's a miser and has quite a bit of money saved up.
Unlike the average person at the company who makes a decent salary,
she doesn't wear makeup and she doesn't care about what she wears.
Bon apetit.
A lonely woman...
Well, women, when they get old and money is all they have,
That way of life isn't wrong for sure.
This time it will be held in Shizuoka....
I have a rewarding job and a salary that I can't spend.
Why should such a comfy life be destroyed by marriage?
Sanetomo Energy will continue to work together them.
I'm happy with my life.
What? One night in Shuzenji?
Sanetomo Corporation - Next Energy Career-track Employee - Sasaki Makoto
That's right.
We haven't had a company trip in the last 10 years, and after the Shizuoka exhibition,
it's been decided that everyone will get to go on a company trip to celebrate the event.
Everyone!?
All right! What... You mean we get to stay over too?
Sounds like fun! I'll ask my husband to take care of the kids.
That's great! Eh...
Does it have a hot spring?
Of course! This is the place....
Oh~!
Wow, it's really nice.
Why do such a tiring thing after an exhibition...?
Of course she doesn't want to go any more than I do.
There isn't a single person in the company that I'm close with.
Shizuoka Prefecture Mishima City
October 21st, Saturday
Of all the clean energy sources, wind power is the least expensive and produces the greatest amount of electricity.
Please, come this way.
In addition, offshore power generation has no noise concerns and does not damage the landscape.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
This foundation structure that supports the windmills...
We have succeeded in reducing the size of the machine, so we do not use any heavy machinery.
So, the survey that was conducted a year ago....
This way to the conference venue,. Please come in.
Please take a pamphlet.
Oh...the conference has already started.
Yes...
Everybody, Thank you!
Well done, Professor Smith!
It was delightful!
I heard many gasps of amazement from the audience.
Arigato.
Shizuoka Prefecture Shuzenji
I believe that it is thanks to the cooperation of each and every one of you
that Sanetomo has been able to demonstrate to its stakeholders
a global attitude that opens up new possibilities
for the entire planet.
Tonight, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you....
The destructive power of the Director's yukata!
That's what you call adult sex appeal, isn't it?
Everyone, please drink to your heart's content tonight.
Well then.... Cheers!
Cheers!
- Yo! - Director Sugioka!
Japan's No. 1!
Hey~.. Good, good luck!
- Hi! Thanks for your hard work. - Thank you for your hard work.
Are you sure? Oh, thank you.
Excuse me. Thank you.
I'm sorry. You're the one who's tired.
No, that's not true.
Mr. Sugioka, you really look good in a yukata.
No? No, that's not true.
I'm really glad the exhibition went well!
Hey... don't cry.
Would you like another drink, Ms. Suzuki?
I'm fine.
What are you talking about?
- Excuse me, another beer, please. - Yes, coming right up.
Huh? Ms. Matoba, are you going somewhere?
Since the meal is over.
Hey, don't sound so sad, let's drink sake!
No, thank you.
Gaah! She's still as unsociable as ever, isn't she?
All right, then, let's have a party! All together.
Ms. Matoba doesn't seem to be interested in anything but money.
Ah, don't say that. Happiness is different things to different people.
As expected of the boss! Everyone has their own happiness.
For sure,
I don't want to spend too much time drinking like this.
So cooling.
Gasp! I just caught the Director having a fling.
That yukata...
Is he having an affair on a company trip?
Who's that woman?
Today's accommodations are for all employees from the Director and below,
and the women are in separate rooms, three to a room.
Have Papa read you a book.
Yes~.
You're so smart...
Yeah.
Bye. Good night.
Suzuki Shino's not here!
Oh, Ms. Mikami, welcome back.
I was just talking to my son.
Sorry for interrupting.
Not at all.
Hey, has Ms. Suzuki not come back yet?
Yeah... Everyone's having fun, aren't they?
I see....
Suzuki Shino is back.
I was looking forward to seeing their faces the next morning.
October 22nd, Sunday
However...
Director Sugioka... is still not here.
Suzuki Shino is here!
- Good morning. - Good morning.
How late did you stay after the party?
Uh, after 10:00.
And then something interesting happened.
...Oh, yeah!
Mr. Sasaki was so drunk and started saying things like
"Isn't Deputy Director Tomizaki such a yes-man"?
Deputy Director Tomizaki got angry and grabbed him.
No way! I wanted to see it!
Of course you would
Mr. Sasaki certainly did it.
Ah, but I'm sleepy...
Ms. Hashimoto came back very late yesterday waking me up.
Eh~? A date with someone at Shuzenji?
Hashimoto Keiko wasn't around that time either?
Ah, hey Taguchi, where's the Director?
Oh...
The Director had urgent business and returned to Tokyo last night.
He sends his regards to everyone.
What...He didn't stay the night?
I didn't know...
Could this have something to do with the secret meeting yesterday?
Thank you for the food.
Yes, everyone, come closer, come closer!
Alright, let's take a picture. Please smile.
Let's take a picture. Say cheese.
- Let's take one more. - Okay.
After today, you're free to do whatever you want.
Enjoy yourselves! By the way, get back to work tomorrow.
Well then, everyone's dismissed! Take care!
We're going to Ito now.
I'm sick and tired of being stuck here at these company trips.
The only interesting part was Mr. Sugioka affair.
An affair within company would affect their career prospects,
but who in the world would risk that...?
Ms. Matoba?
I got into a different train from Matoba Ikuko and headed home.
October 23rd, Monday
Yes, I found a nice place in Atami that was recommended online.
Eh...
- Drinking alone? Cool! - Ahahahaha...
What did Deputy Director Nomura do?
I went straight back to Tokyo and brought a souvenir for my sister.
I'm getting old, so I have to take it easy for a day or my body won't be able to handle it.
He's lying about being old.
Deputy Director Nomura is always so serious.
By the way, Director Sugioka, is really late.
Ah...he should be back soon. It's the department heads' meeting.
Huh? Really?
He hasn't returned and hasn't contacted his wife.
I see....
Wife? The Director hasn't been home?
They mentioned that he went home Saturday night.
You mean they don't know where they went?
I will contact you as soon as I find out something.
Yes, thank you very much.
The Director has not yet returned and no one can contact him.
Huh? That's strange... What's wrong with the Director?
In the meantime, I'll attend the meeting on his behalf.
Ms. Mikami, can you get Ms. Suzuki to accompany you instead?
Okay. Do you have a list of demonstrations?
Ah, yes, this is it.
Thank you.
Let's go!
...Yes.
The Director did not show up that day.
And the next day, and the day after that,
there was no sign of Sugioka.
October 26th, Thursday
Finally, a missing person report was filed.
Excuse me.
Every employee who stayed at Shuzenji was interviewed by the detectives.
This is not a case yet, nonetheless....
Now, would you mind telling us what you did this past Saturday and Sunday?
Of course.
I was polite and detailed.
I just... couldn't tell him about what I witnessed.
Ah!!!
You gave me a fright....
Sorry, I'm being called in next...
Ah... oh, yes.
Oh... What's going on with the Director?
I can't believe he's been absent for 4 days.
Maybe... he intentionally disappeared?
No, you don't expect that from someone who's confident of his work
and on track for a promotion, to willingly disappear.
For the same reason that suicide is unthinkable.
If so....
- he was murdered. - he was murdered.
What?
Eh...?
Oh.... it was nothing. Excuse me.
If he was murdered, what would the killer's motive be?
...What?
If so, where is the body?
If it hasn't been discovered yet, it may be hidden somewhere.
Shuzenji is located almost in the middle of the Izu Peninsula.
The body could be hidden in any direction.
There is also an ocean.
The east coast, south coast, and west coast of the Izu Peninsula
can all be reached in a few hours.
Especially on the west coast, from Ishigorozaki to the fishing villages of Iruma,
Tsumara and Kosoura, the steep cliffs of Namikatsuzaki, from Matsuzaki to Dogashima....
Uhm...!
Ms. Matoba...you seem to know a lot.
I like mystery novels, so...
uhm... all this useless knowledge...
Hehe...
I'm sorry, I have a habit of smiling when I get nervous...
I've never been questioned by the police before.
I see.
They didn't ask me anything important.
I see. Thank you very much.
Why do you look like you're having fun?
Strange woman.
November 1st, Wednesday
Shizuoka Prefecture Izunokuni City
Huh?
Hey, what's going on?
Aaah!
How'd it go with the police?
Director Sugioka was found near Shuzenji.
What?
Um...what do you mean they found him?
He said that someone had killed him.
Huh! No way...
Why?
I don't have the details yet...
However, it's about 10 days after his death,
and it is highly likely that he was killed the night we stayed at Shuzenji or the day after that.
That day?
For now, let's pray for the Director's soul
and hope that the culprit will be found as soon as possible.
It will be announced in due course, but please act with the honor of our company in mind.
Today, around 9:00 a.m....
Sugioka Hisaichiro, a director in Sanetomo Corporation,
was found dead at a construction site in Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Shizuoka Prefectural Police are investigating the case as a murder-abandonment.
The scene is a construction site on a street from Shuzenji.
The soil where the body was buried had been piled up for two weeks.
Rope marks on the neck of the victim.
The killer most likely strangled the victim
with a noose-like object, suffocated him, and then dumped his body.
So what are the company employees saying?
You mean those Tokyo elites...
There's no trouble inside or outside the company.
He is not the kind of person to hold a grudge against anyone.
He was a nice guy.
There was no trouble whatsoever.
It was like they had a meeting behind the scenes, and everyone kept saying the same thing.
Even with all that glass, the inside is ridiculously opaque.
It's a cover-up, isn't it?
I have a feeling that the culprit is inside the company.
Well, there is still the robbery line.
We need to interview the construction workers
and check surveillance footage from all over Izu.
Yes!
November 3rd, Friday
Should I tell the police about it?
The affair.
It might not be relevant,
but a woman with a special relationship should
be helpful to the investigation.
I feel sorry for his wife.
I can't believe this happened.
Really.
Hey Reiko. Wait!
Why are you leaving?
Let go of me! Please... just leave me alone!
Eh~.
Mr. Tomizaki's wife has gone home.
- Yes dear? - Grill some Chateaubriand for me...
I mean, it seemed like the wives were getting along so well, but...
I heard that Deputy Director Tomizaki's marital relationship is not going well.
What?
I get it!
Why?
It only looks good on the outside, right?
Hey, senior, you shouldn't have said that much...
That night in Shuzenji, he told you that he was going back to Tokyo, right?
Yes.
Was there a train back to Tokyo at that time?
No....
Did you arrange for a cab or a car?
No.
I thought there were a lot of things going on in his private life.
I see... it's a kind of unspoken understanding between men, isn't it?
I wanted to know what really happened to him.
November 4th, Saturday
This is where Director Sugioka was killed.
Why at the construction site?
And from Shuzenji to here is six and a half kilometers away.
It's hard to imagine that he's walked down a dark street with very few lights.
Oh, uhm...
- Sorry to bother you. - Yes.
I work for the same company as the person who passed away here the other day, unfortunately.
My name is Mikami.
We were very grateful to the deceased during his lifetime,
offering condolences...
The body was buried here.
Here?
How could he have not been found for ten days?
We were working on another foundation at the time.
So when it came time to use the soil, we started digging...
We were surprised that his hand appeared.
Still, I can't believe she would want this dirt...
What? Dirt?
Yes.
A little while ago, an unusual woman came to see me.
After hearing all about the case, she asked me to share this soil with her in a flowerpot.
Driver, please slow down.
It was Matoba Ikuko after all...
If he was murdered, what would the killer's motive be?
She's also looking into the murder of the Director?
November 8th, Wednesday
Mr. Kurata!
There have been no sightings of anyone who looks like the victim.
There are no security cameras around Izu or along the street,
and there is no indication that he took a cab or rented a car before or after the estimated time of the murder.
And there's no murder weapon to be found.
By any chance....
By any chance?
What is it, by any chance?
It's been a week since we found out the Director was murdered.
I received a message on my private social networking diary.
Pry any further and I'll kill you
kill you
Who?
Someone knows what I'm doing.
What time would you like to do this?
Early morning Japan time, in the afternoon in the U.S.....
Yes, I understand. Excuse me.
Eh, the director's retirement money?
It's a terrible story. I thought the Director would get a lot of money,
but he had debts and took away several tens of millions of yen to pay them off.
Tens of millions?
What? Director Sugioka owes money?
He was spending a lot of money but I didn't think he was in debt....
Besides... it's Ms. Matoba.
What?
I heard that she stormed into the Director's house to ask for the return of the 3 million he borrowed from her.
Three million! Eh... wait a minute.
Did Ms. Matoba lend it to the Director?
That's right.
His wife was crying on the phone.
Wow, I'm sorry to hear that~.
Matoba Ikuko spent 3 million on Director Sugioka?
3 million.... 3 million is impossible!
My husband is already dead!
What? So what of it?
Huh?
I have worked for much less salary than the director.
No extravagance, just steady effort.
He borrowed money from a subordinate like me, and now that he's dead, you want to write it off.
That's not fair, is it?
What do you mean unfair?
I can't return it anyway!
I won't give up a single yen.
Until I get every yen back,
I'll be here again and again and again.
Is... how I imagined it would be.
If that's the case, is she looking into the case for money?
Why would that miserly woman lend 3 million yen to a stranger in the first place?
No way.
No, no.
There's no way that the Director, who has such a keen sense of beauty, would choose Matoba Ikuko.
Yeah, well, that's not the point.
Someone's trying to get me to drop the investigation.
I'm...
getting closer to the truth.
Two types of soil?
Yes.
The black one is a soil with irregular particles and corners, which is often found in the Izu area.
The red one is more rounded, with the corners of the particles removed.
It is the decomposition of submerged sediments of volcanic ash.
Do you know where the red clay over here comes from?
Hmmm...
I'm guessing from the plant fibers it contains.
North of Mt. Fuji...
maybe around Yamanashi.
Yamanashi...
Yeah.
Thank you.
Ah...
I'm sorry for asking such a strange question.
By any chance, did anyone else come besides me?
Yes, someone from your company came.
With the exact same soil as this one.
Two different types of soil, so it's possible
that soil from other places was brought in on top of the original soil, right?
Yes, I think it is conceivable.
So the victim was killed elsewhere,
and his body was brought in with the soil that was there...?
... saying such unsettling things.
What exactly is Mikami's company developing right now?
Somewhere else?
I see...
This is what Matoba Ikuko is inferring.
Matoba Ikuko's theory
He had a secret meeting with a woman in a yukata in Shuzenji,
and then checked out of his hotel, saying he was going back to Tokyo.
He ended up in Yamanashi somehow.
That's where he was killed, and his body was covered in dirt from Yamanashi.
The killer then transported the body to his former location near Shuzenji,
buried it in the soil of the construction site, and hid it.
All the female employees were at the inn from midnight till morning,
so it's impossible for them to go to Yamanashi.
The woman in the yukata is not the killer.
But there is a strong possibility that she was involved in the murder.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
The woman in the yukata is either Suzuki Shino or Hashimoto Keiko.
But why did the murderer return the body he
killed in Yamanashi all the way back to Shuzenji?
And we don't even know how he got it there.
There are so many mysteries...
Ah!
- I'm sorry. - Never mind...
How about I just share the case with her?
No... she's suspicious enough on her own.
That message could have been sent by Matoba!
- Here. - Thank you very much.
Ah...
Yes, this is Mikami.
What?
My boss.
November 12th, Sunday
Ah! I didn't think you would come, Ma'am.
Yurika's mother Asano Emiko
I apologize for any inconvenience my daughter may have caused you.
I'll make tea.
Oh, Ma'am, please don't mind me.
Gastroenteritis?
Yes.
I got this.
Thank you very much.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
It's only natural after what happened in the department.
It's rather strange that everyone is behaving normally.
Ms. Hashimoto, for example, was saying in a loud voice, "Who will be the next Director?"
Huh... I see. That's typical of Ms. Hashimoto.
Come to think of it, that night in Shuzenji....
What?
Actually....
Yeah.
When I tried to get Asano Yurika to confirm Hashimoto Keiko's alibi,
I found out a surprising fact.
After the banquet,
it turned out that Suzuki Shino and Hashimoto Keiko
were both fans of the same popular anime.
"Bunneko"!
The two suddenly became good friends as fans of the anime,
and stayed up late visiting places where the anime took place.
Hashimoto Keiko and Suzuki Shino both have alibis.
If that's the case, who on earth was that woman in the yukata?
Uhm...please wait!
Oh...
I'm sorry.
Uhm...
Is it true that Deputy Director Tomizaki's wife, Reiko, passed away suddenly?
What?
Deputy Director Tomizaki?
Oh, no, I don't know anything...
Oh...
My daughter was able to join Sanetomo thanks to Reiko.
I run a cafeteria far from here, so I am unable to greet him.
Please give my best regards to Deputy Director Tomizaki.
Ah, yes...
Deputy Director Tomizaki's wife is dead?
Could this have something to do with Director Sugioka's death?
She passed away suddenly at her parents' house.
This is unbelievable.
Why does this keep happening....
Hey, where does Deputy Director Tomizaki's wife live?
It is Otsuki... in Yamanashi.
...maybe around Yamanashi.
Yamanashi?
That's what this is all about!
Now it's connected.
I'm glad I went to Asano Yurika's hospital.
Now, at last, the truth of his death,
and the image of his murderer, is starting to materialize in my mind.
If my theory is correct, and I'm afraid I am,
for the sake of the truth, I'm going to visit that person to find out.
Ahhh, my eyes are tired.
All right...
Ahhh...
Finally, we've come this far.
I'm almost there.
I will find the truth, for sure.
Two days later, Ms. Mikami Tazuko disappeared.
After being absent from work for several days,
November 22nd, Wednesday
her mother was called to unlock her apartment,
only to find a hungry cat inside.
Yes, that is correct.
Wow~... Ms. Mikami's diary was...
A lot has been written about me.
Plain, dark, miserly, lonely woman.
It's exhilarating to see such a complete and utter defeat.
We too, were surprised that she had been so diligent in her research.
And now I feel the same threat from you as Ms. Mikami.
Ms. Matoba, it seems that you were also very persistent in your research.
I won't deny that I was looking into the case of Director.
I don't know anything about Ms. Mikami, however.
It's just...
I think when Ms. Mikami wrote "I'm going to visit that person",
she was referring to Asano Yurika's mother, wasn't she?
Yes, we thought so too,
since shortly before that, she wrote that she was glad she went to Asano Yurika's hospital.
If that's the case Detectives,
you already got confirmation from Asano-san's mother, didn't you?
Hehehe.
That is correct.
So, did Ms. Mikami visit her?
Yes.
The day after she uploaded her last diary entry,
she was in Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, to meet Emiko Asano.
Yamanashi...
So what did Ms. Mikami ask Asano-san's mother?
And after that, where did she go?
That's what we're trying to find out.
The surveillance camera at Otsuki station hasn't captured any images since then...
Hahahahaha..!
This makes it sound like we're being interrogated by you.
Please lend me that Ms. Mikami's diary.
Huh?
Mikami also writes, "If my theory is correct, and I'm afraid I am",
Perhaps Ms. Mikami encountered the killer
and was abducted or locked up to keep her mouth shut.
What in the world have you been saying all this time...
I want to know.
I want to validate Ms. Mikami's idea.
I, too, want to find the culprit.
Huh...
I see. Fine, you can have it.
What? What? Mr. Kurata!
What?
Are you sure?
You want you to disclose information about the investigation to that idiotic and suspicious woman?
It's okay, the important information has been taken out.
And from now on, you'll keep that woman in line.
What? What... me?
Maybe we'll get something interesting.
The Director's death,
the Deputy Director's wife's death,
and Ms.Mikami's subsequent disappearance
created a air of unease within the department.
Ms. Mikami, who joined the company as a promising employee after the bubble burst,
was a woman with a chip on her shoulder,
challenging the notion of what it means to be "hard-working."
She was always working with a furrowed and wrinkled brow,
as if her job was her identity.
From the looks of it, she didn't have a boyfriend.
She wrote that I was a "lonely woman,"
but it seems that she was pretty lonely herself.
"The truth about the death."
"Culprit."
Interesting... like a mystery novel.
Ms. Mikami was investigating the murder of the Director,
and she found out something I didn't know.
Why was she so passionate about this?
Could it be...
she's just like me.
Damn! Mr. Kurata is so pushy!
Eh? Eh? Eh? Hey, wait...!
Ms. Matoba Ikuko?
I knew it! Wow..!
The aura was so different, for a moment I didn't recognize you.
Well, I knew you would come.
I'm trying to follow Ms. Mikami's trail.
I see.
Well, I reluctantly join you.
What?
Am I a suspect after all?
I wonder... We'll see.
Were you close with Ms. Mikami?
No, not at all.
I didn't think so, from what I read.
But we took the same train, went to the same place on the same day...
We had never spoken to each other outside of business contact,
but now, for the first time, I feel a sense of camaraderie.
Hmmm... Being an Office Lady is complicated too.
Office Lady... Such a Showa-era term. Detective, how old are you?
What? I am of the same generation as you.
Since we're from the same generation, let me ask you something,
Ms. Matoba, aren't you the woman in the yukata?
I guess I haven't given up my suspicions
that you're the killer or at least a part of it.
There was also this testimony.
It was Matoba Ikuko who killed Sugioka.
She figured if my husband died, she'd collect the insurance and retirement money with impunity.
That's why he was killed.
I see. That's one motive.
"I see".... What's your response?
Well...
Even though we are of the same generation, I have no sense of camaraderie with you,
and I am under no obligation to speak with you.
Huh? That's not the point!
I'm a detective! Hey!
Go ahead.
I'm sorry for all the questions.
Not at all.
Ms. Mikami was seated over there.
Were you and Tomizaki Reiko close as a family?
That's right.
She is a cheerful and caring person...
And your daughter got a job?
Yeah, and then all of a sudden this happened.
I'm really sorry to hear that...
Ms. Matoba?
Ah...
Um... are these a dahlias?
Oh... I got it from Reiko's parents.
A relative of mine has a big plant shop in Shizuoka,
and he bred the flower there because it was Reiko's favorite flower.
I see. I've never seen dahlias like this before.
Come to think of it, Ms. Mikami asked me about it.
"Where can I buy such a rare item?" She said.
Even city people are interested in flowers, aren't they?
Excuse me, where's your relative's gardener?
I believe it's called Izu-no-Ohito.
Ohito...
It is near the site of the dead body.
Otsuki Station is served not only by JR but also by the Fujikyuko Line.
Take the Fujikyu Line to Kawaguchiko Station, then take the Fujikyu City Bus to Mishima Station.
From Mishima Station, there is an Izu Hakone Railway train bound for Shuzenji.
Mr. Mikami did not return to the Tokyo area that day,
but took that route to Ohito in Izu.
You know a lot of about routes.
But your intuition was right.
We asked to see the Fujikyu and Izu Hakone Railway security camera footage,
and we found footage of a person who appears to be Ms. Mikami Tazuko on a Fujikyu City Bus.
So I am now having it analyzed in detail.
I knew it...
Ms. Mikami got on this train that day.
Where did Ms. Mikami disappear to?
Oh! Oh...
Oh... Thank you very much.
- Thank you so much. - Take care.
Hey! Who said you could go in?!
This is not a tourist spot! It's a busy time of year here.
I apologize. I am...
- Ouch..! - Uhm...
We are getting married soon.
Eh...?
So I heard that the dahlias here are very popular,
so I thought maybe we could use them for a wedding or something, so we came to take a look... right?
Huh?
....Aaah! Yes.
Ha! I see.
Congratulations on that.
Hayashida Flower Shop Hayashida Tokuji
Sorry about just now.
The other day, a strange woman barged in without permission.
- A woman? - Yeah!
Oh, uhm...
Is this the woman who came here?
Yes, it is!
What the hell? Do you know her?
No. Anything else about this woman...?
Aah... I kicked her out right away, so I don't know.
Ah... Hey! Can you go get me a pot of Di-anise?
Yes.
We're so busy that we've hired young help from other farms.
Oh, at our shop, other than flowers, we plant trees this time of year.
Trees?
Yes.
The trees in that area are from Nagano,
so this plot came from Yamanashi.
Yamanashi?
Yes.
Um... how are you going to transport the trees to so far away?
That's a truck.
Here. We transport them in a transport truck.
Hey!
Yes, slowly, slowly!
Wow, that's how trees are transported.
Mr. Hayashida, thank you for waiting.
Oh, thank you.
This is it. It's a new species, just created this year.
Beautiful...
I only have a son, but I have a niece in Tokyo.
She's a lovely and good girl.
But it wasn't a good marriage.
Let go of me! Please... just leave me alone!
I wish you all the best.
Ah... Yes... Yes...
In the end, we never found out what happened to Ms. Mikami
after she left Hayashida Flower shop...
Oh... that's Shuzenji, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
We next headed to Shuzenji.
Is this where Ms. Mikami saw the secret meeting....?
Oh....
There is no security camera.
Maybe the killer knew that.
But you are a strange woman, aren't you?
Ah... ah~ I see.
Nowadays we shouldn't casually say "woman" or "man.
All this gender and compliance stuff.
Detective, please stand there for a moment.
Well... You may be strange,
but not a bad person.
I found that out today.
Well, there are many mysteries.
Thanks for that.
If you were the Director,
would the woman in the yukata have stood like this?
I wonder.......just be careful, okay?
While doing this amateur investigation on her own,
it might have caused Mr. Mikami Tazuko to disappear.
You might disappear, too.
Certainly.
Ah..!
Oh...
Please be careful!
That was so dangerous.
Sorry...
There are steps here.
Sure, it's a step.
Now, at last, the truth of his death,
and the image of his murderer,
is starting to materialize in my mind.
"The Truth of his death"....
Huh? That's rare.
It's rare to find dahlias like this. Where do you buy them?
Eh...?
Hmm?
Oh, let's see...
At a florist near my house.
Eh~. I want one too.
What?
After work, could you show me this flower shop?
Oh...
I think we will see it soon.
Sorry, I thought there was a florist around here...
That's strange, right? You bought it yesterday, right?
Ms. Matoba... you know something, don't you?
"Something"? What is it?
That flower...
It's from the Hayashida Flower shop, right?
The police showed us Ms. Mikami's diary.
It was unexpected, but I was also convinced.
I believe that the reason Ms. Mikami was so obsessed with the case
must be because she was in a relationship with Mr. Sugioka.
You were like that too, weren't you? Ms. Matoba.
The woman in the yukata that Ms. Mikami saw that night in Shuzenji,
wasn't that you?
Hahaha... That guy was a hell of a womanizer.
"Womanizer"...
Okay... I understand.
Chief Sugioka is a womanizer of epic proportions.
Wasn't he also romantically involved with your wife?
Eh...?
Every time there was a party or an event at Mr. Sugioka's house,
he would call your wife and boss her around.
And you did not make the slightest attempt to protect your wife.
It was then that Director Sugioka approached your wife.
Stop...
Your wife fell for his seduction.
I'm telling you to stop!
After all, is that so?
Didn't your wife secretly come to see Mr. Sugioka that night in Shuzenji?
And she told Asano Yuriko,
who was the daughter of a friend, to tell the Director where she was.
Asano-san is indebted to your wife, so she obeyed.
And then, the Director left the inn, lying about going back to Tokyo....
Shut up!
Stop making these wild speculations!
If that was the case Deputy Directer Tomizaki,
you had motive to kill Director Sugioka.
What? You're saying I killed him?
Ridiculous...
Near the site is also your wife's relatives' Hayashida Flower shop.
She could have also gotten the help of her uncle, Mr. Hayashida.
But your wife, who has lost the love of her life, couldn't bear the remorse of her conscience...
Shut up! I said shut up!
What are you doing?!
Deputy Director Nomura...
Why... why...
I didn't do anything!
Are you okay? Ms. Matoba.
Deputy Director Nomura, why are you here?
Tomizaki has been acting strange all day.
Then I got worried and followed him.
Why did you do such a dangerous thing?
And you only just got back from Shizuoka....
But now I know that Director Sugioka and Deputy Director Tomizaki's wife were having an affair.
This is a great discovery.
Deputy Director Tomizaki has mo....
... motive to kill.
That may be so, but you can't just go around....
Please listen.
My idea...
and perhaps Ms. Mikami's idea
that the "truth of his death" was this.
Deputy Director Tomizaki finds out about the affair between Director Sugioka and his wife Reiko,
and during his free time the next day, he calls Director Sugioka to Hayashida Flower shop to kill him...
Ah... ah..!
That's when the dirt from Yamanashi, got onto the Director.
The Director's body was transported by Hayashida's truck
and dumped at a nearby construction site.
That would explain why two types of soil were found at the site.
Are you saying that Tomizaki and his wife's uncle, Hayashida Tokuji,
cooperated to kill Sugioka and take his body to the construction site?
Well... that's impossible.
Tomizaki had an alibi of being in Atami until 8 p.m. the next day.
I see....
And from the day of his disappearance to the day his body was found,
there were checkpoints along that street.
Even if they were able to kill him,
it would be impossible to transport the body.
That's right...
Mr. Hayashida didn't seem like that kind of person to me.
Adding to that,
why not dump the body in the mountains or at sea instead of an easy to find construction site....
Ms. Matoba.
I'm sorry...
The ramen is ready, I'll contact you later.
Why are you going that far?
You and Ms. Mikami Tazuko.
Well... I wonder why...
I don't understand it.
Anyway, we will proceed with the investigation, so please don't take things into your own hands!
My apologies.
That was a long conversation. Boyfriend?
Ah... No, no...
That was the police....
The police huh?
But Tomizaki is in a mess now.
You shouldn't get too close to him.
There's also the matter of Mikami's disappearance.
Yes....
Bon apetit.
I believe that the reason Ms. Mikami was so obsessed with the case
must be because she was in a relationship with Mr. Sugioka.
You were like that too, weren't you? Ms. Matoba.
Deputy Director Tomizaki was right.
Two years ago, I had a relationship with Director Sugioka.
Be sure to return it.
I am not one to leave unpaid loans.
Thank you.
You're the only one who's on my side.
I was so happy.
With his pride and sense of beauty,
Mr. Sugioka spent a lot of money on fashion and socializing.
"Looking beautiful again today. Let's go out tonight. Love you."
He told me all these lies to get me to believe him.
I have learned the power of money
and the weakness of man.
On and on, I would lend him 100,000 or 200,000
and from when I first joined the company half of my savings was gone.
I told him we were splitting up.
Wait! Ikuko, wait!
It was so miserable to see him like that.
I have no more money to lend you.
Eh...?
Ikuko...!
Well, I've been miserable enough.
I then decided to use my remaining savings to splurge on myself for the holidays.
It's not for anyone to see.
I wanted to help myself out of my misery.
It really suits you.
But then, a month later...
Seems like someone had killed him.
That man died.
The one who used to be so miserable.
Despite my relationship being over,
I was in love with someone who had given me both joy and pain,
but I couldn't help but want to know why he had to be killed.
Thank you very much.
I also visited him at his home, using the debt as an excuse,
but even there I couldn't find anything.
I can't believe he's been absent for 4 days.
What's going on with the Director?
She seemed to live only for her work,
but was she in love with the director?
Wow... what?
- Hold on. Sorry. - What? Hold this...
Wait, get a tissue, tissue...
- What's wrong? - Are you nervous?
Oh, Ms. Matoba.
Oh no... We've been busted.
Uhm... is that... a cat?
This is Ms. Mikami's cat.
Mr. Taguchi was asked to take care of them, but his mother is allergic to them.
Then Ms. Suzuki said she would take care of it.
I wonder where she went, Ms. Mikami.
I didn't always like her, but I might miss her a little.
Me too.
So....
Is a career-track position too demanding?
Mr. Suzuki is also quitting.
Hey, don't tell anyone.
For me... work was something that helped people
and made me feel that it was worthwhile
or at least that's what I used to think.
That's the kind of work I wanted to do...
But it's not like that at all.
I work hard to please my department manager,
the department managers work hard to please the directors,
the directors work hard to please the president,
and the president works hard to get analysts and researchers to raise the value the company.
What is this.
What on earth am I working for?
Well, it's for the sake of supporting them, isn't it?
Well, it's a good company. The building is beautiful.
But I'm starting to feel like everything is ridiculous...
Eh~?
I do more menial tasks such as reserving meeting rooms and making coffee for people like that.
You're doing more good to people by making coffee.
I'd like to...
I want to work for the people.
People...?
Yes, not for the company,
but for the people.
What are you talking about these extravagant thoughts?
Well, the company is still running normally even without the Director, isn't it?
Yeah...
...Huh?
Why are we talking to Ms. Matoba like this?
Ah, you're right...
Sorry, that was sudden.
- Let's go back. - Okay...
"What on earth am I working for?"
I too, am thinking about it.
Once you look at it, you get a contract written up,
make sure it's correct,
get it stamped,
save the data,
deal with customers...
it's a repetitive process.
But if you work hard, you still get paid.
Money is the only way to ensure a certain level of comfort in life.
Such things, were important to me.
This big company, with all its big desires,
and all of its jobs, maybe many of them are empty,
and everyone is working with an empty heart.
Yes, this is Nomura.
Yes. Yes...
Ah...thank you.
It's here! It's call from HR!
Mr. Nomura will succeed as the Director!
Thank you very much. Respectfully....
This must be a shock to Deputy Director Tomizaki.
There was also the matter of his wife...
In the end, the person who is diligent and honest wins.
Deputy Director Nomura is always so serious.
I believe that the diligent Deputy Manager Nomura
is more suitable to be Director, than the glib and sloppy Deputy Director Tomizaki.
....couldn't tell him about what I witnessed.
He hasn't returned and hasn't contacted his wife.
...couldn't tell him
....marital relationship is not going well.
Now, at last, the truth of his death...
So I got worried and followed him.
...and the image of his murderer...
Yes, this is Mikami.
...is starting to materialize in my mind.
Yamanashi?
No way. The culprit is....
Detective Sahara
Ms. Matoba.
Is it all right if I talk to you for a second?
Ms. Matoba, did you read Ms. Mikami's diary on the app?
Yes.
What did you think? Especially about Tomizaki...
Yes.
I have noticed something.
I thought Ms. Mikami might be hiding something in her writings.
Hiding things? Like what?
Why didn't Ms. Mikami mention
seeing a woman in a yukata during the police interview?
That's....
Well...
maybe it's to protect the company's reputation.
It's a womanly thing to do.
"Womanly"... I see.
Another thing I noticed
is that the flow of the journal changed midway through.
She went to visit Ms. Asano at the hospital.
Suddenly from this point on,
Ms. Asano and her mother,
and Deputy Director Tomizaki's wife all start to come to light,
and we gradually get to the relationship between Deputy Director Tomizaki and the case.
The sudden flow
was different from the flow that had been going all over the place earlier,
and it was not so interesting...
They way things worked too well was unnatural.
Unnatural?
Then I thought.
Ms. Mikami was probably
manipulated to suspect Deputy Director Tomizaki....
Was it you who was manipulating her? Deputy Director Nomura.
The one Ms. Mikami loved was not Director Sugioka,
but you, Deputy Director Nomura.
That's right.
We had a relationship once, ten years ago.
We were both young.
I had a wife at the time, and that was it.
But Tazuko was always concerned about me.
We wanted to climb to the top of this glass castle together.
She's a very compassionate woman.
Where is Ms. Mikami?
Let's go see her. I have something to tell her, too.
This way.
Where should I start....
Well... first of all,
I noticed the relationship between Sugioka and Tomizaki's wife a year ago.
Did you go to the hairdresser?
Yeah.
Wow, that's cute.
After that,
Sugioka started treating me coldly,
no matter how much I tried to curry favor.
But that doesn't mean Sugioka wouldn't promote me.
Mostly, his intention was to move me to a harmless position and department.
At that time, I learned
that Sugioka was to have a secret meeting with Tomizaki's wife on the night of the exhibition.
Then the woman in the yukata that Ms. Mikami saw...
No, that was not Tomizaki's wife. Nor was it Ms. Asano.
It was me.
I didn't realize Tazuko was watching me.
There were steps at that location.
Ah..!
Ms. Mikami assumed that you were a woman.
Yes, I was lucky.
That night, I called Sugioka to tell him...
Tomizaki found out his wife was cheating on him.
You're kidding, right?
Does he know it was me?
No.
He just said he was going to catch her in the act tonight.
Damn it...
It might be better for you to return to Tokyo for the time being.
Upset, Sugioka fully trusted my good intentions.
I'm sorry, this is the only transport I could arrange...
Oh... it's okay, thank you.
I'm sorry you have to go to Tokyo at this hour...
Then, please.
Hm?
The driver put Sugioka to sleep as I instructed.
You're....
...we've hired young help from other farms.
Let me introduce you to my sister.
Eh...?
She works at this plantation.
And as I told the police,
I returned to Tokyo to visit my sister with a souvenir from Shuzenji.
Hmm...? Whoa! Oh...
Good morning.
What's this? Hey Nomura...
Ahh..! Ah... ah...
Did you kill him?The Director...
Ah, with these hands.
I was thinking of having Tomizaki take the blame for this.
Tomizaki has ample motive for murder.
But Deputy Director Tomizaki...
Yes,
Tomizaki is incapable of murder.
All that man cares about is advancing his career.
He was aware of the affair,
but if word got out of his personal life,
he would lose his promotion
so he continued to rub shoulders with the director
and pretended it didn't happen.
I can't believe it!
An asshole who deserves to take the blame, right?
I knew that Tomizaki's wife's relatives were in the landscaping business.
I got my sister to get hired at Hayashida Flower shop
and bought a tree from there.
It was a big tree.
Then, after killing Sugioka,
we wrapped up the dead body of the Director in the soil and roots of that tree.
Sorry. Thank you for your cooperation.
We transported the body while evading checkpoints
and chose a place near Shuzenji
where the body would likely be found days later
and buried it.
I see...
Then I didn't think that Director Sugioka was killed in Tokyo
and brought all the way back to near Shuzenji.
I believe he was killed in the vicinity of the scene....
In the meantime,
Tomizaki's wife passed away.
Was Sugioka's death such a shock to her?
But that's exactly what worked for me.
Then why did you kill the director?
Because I hate him!!
He and I are from the same hometown, and we went to the same high school.
He was a really greedy guy.
To be in the same company... I lamented my fate.
Even after he joined the company, he did everything he could to kick down those around him.
To be outwitted, to be ratted out on...
Do you know what it feels like?
I don't like it either.
My sister dated him when she was younger.
Eh...?
He had his hands on my sister
then dumped her as soon as she got pregnant!
My life changed after I dropped out of high school.
And yet, I hear that in big companies,
people like him are more valued than people like my brother!
I feel like an idiot!
Somehow...
What's the point in taking life seriously anymore?
Ms. Matoba also gave money to Sugioka.
Poor thing, right?
But the police investigation was tougher than I expected.
That's where Tazuko came in.
She consulted me before the interrogation by the detectives.
Was the Director meeting with a woman?
Maybe someone from our department...
Should I talk to the police?
No...
protect the company's reputation.
Let's see how it goes.
So.... that's what I'll do.
I had an idea what her password was.
She was passionately investigating Sugioka's murder.
I guess she thought it would help me and herself to get ahead.
I warned her once to stay out of it.
But she didn't want to stop.
So...
Yes, this is Mikami.
What?
Dinner for two?
Diary on social networking sites?
Then I got a post from someone saying, "I'm going to kill you.
I'm already scared...
Wow! This is interesting.
Oh, no... Don't read too much.
No, it's interesting.
I always admire Ms. Mikami's insight.
This would help police investigations.
Why don't you do some more research?
Yes, you could talk to Ms. Asano...
Sorry.
Ah...
The company will never see her for the woman that she is.
Yes, that's right.
She certainly
wasn't the workaholic I thought she was.
I read her diary and figured that out.
I found her curiosity tongue-in-cheek but with a sense of humor,
and I could sense her fondness for you in every word of her diary.
And you took advantage of that?
Yes, I guided her thinking.
What... Deputy Director Tomizaki is suspicious?
Yeah.
I think there's a connection between the Director's death and the death of Tomizaki's wife.
Me too.
I thought so too.
I see.
If... What if,
the whole case is solved
and Mr. Tomizaki is dismissed,
I may become the Director.
I'll let you know when it happens...
By any chance, I could be Deputy Director?
Hahaha. That's great.
No, not that.
What's this?
When everything is resolved....
Tazuko, marry me.
You're kidding...
You're kidding, right?
I can't believe it.
I can't believe that you and I are getting married....
She did more than enough.
That's the woman I expected.
Where is Ms. Mikami?
Please let me see Ms. Mikami.
I'll tell when we're there.
Here.
Tazuko is resting under here.
Tazuko...
Thank you.
I will be Director.
Thank you.
D-Did you kill Ms. Mikami too?
Why would you do that...?
Tazuko was too close to the truth.
But I bet she never thought you would succeed her in playing detective.
Moreover, you ignored my guidance and relentlessly tried to find the truth.
That's no good, Ms. Matoba.
Working too hard is no good.
You too can rest with Tazuko.
Ah..!
Hehe...
What's so funny?
No....
But for the last time, please listen.
I had never really spoken openly to anyone since I joined the company.
The company was just a place to get money.
It is different from Ms. Mikami's way of life.
But...
If so....
- he was murdered. - he was murdered.
What?
Eh...?
Oh.... it was nothing. Excuse me.
It was fun.
I was shocked by the death of Director Sugioka,
but I felt like I had found my purpose.
I was going to find out the truth of his death no matter what it took...
And then
I found out that Ms. Mikami was doing the same thing...
Her diary was captivating.
I kept saying, "I get it, I get it"....
I could totally relate with her, even though I thought she was totally different from me.
Hehe...
For the first time, I regretted not trying to reach out to anyone.
That's why...
If I could see her again....
I thought I would talk to her this time.
"Our company's diversity is a joke!"
"Men are really stupid, aren't they?"
"And we're getting pushed around" and so on...
And more, many, many more...
I see...
The best I can do for you,
is for the both of you to laugh together in the dirt.
You're under arrest!
Hey!
Ugh...
You almost didn't contact me in time, did you?
Such a dangerous thing to do...
Sorry...
Nomura Shunichi, you are under arrest for attempted murder.
We need to talk about the murder and the dumping of the body, too.
- Find her sister. Her sister! - Yes!
Ms. Matoba!
Ms. Matoba... are you okay?
And that's how the case ended.
I am sure I will be hearing from you again.
Thank you for your hard work. Thank you.
Ms. Matoba, the car is here to pick you up.
Yes.
It's over, Ms. Mikami.
Thank you for your hard work.